Day 11 Self Love February:
When I was younger…. and, honestly, only up to maybe 15 years ago… I would always base how good of a day I had on my productivity. And part of the problem nowadays is “hustle culture”. Yes, it’s good to have a goal and something to work towards, but if you can’t pause, slow down, and relax, you’re not doing yourself or those around you a favor as eventually you’ll break.
One thing I said in a previous post, “your weekends are for creating the life you want, not escaping the life you have”, but that doesn’t mean to ignore the very important habit of relaxing. Spend a few hours on your days off working on your goals, but also plan time to relax.
If you are a parent and have children – especially young children – learning to slow down is vitally important. Babies and toddlers grow up fast, and they become more independent quickly. Eventually, they won’t need you to carry them around or feed them or change their diapers. And, yes, some of those parental duties will be gladly given up, I have no doubt that you will miss many aspects… so slow down and enjoy these days while they’re here!
Slowing down can be hard for some people – I get it! I was there – I’ve been that person! But I also think it’s what’s got me in trouble with my mental health. I was either in hustle mode, escapism mode, or other numbing, but not actually slowing down and relaxing.
One thing I’ve noticed is that, for me, I find it hard to slow down and relax at home. I think it’s because at home, there’s always something vying for your attention. You’re comfortable at home. There’s always – ALWAYS – something to do at home; laundry, dishes, cleaning, TV, phone, etc. It’s why I like going out to our friend’s cottage. There’s no Wifi, so I’m selective how I spend my data, no TV or internet (unless they’re there), so when we’re there, I create art, I read, I spend time outside on their deck enjoying the sounds of the woods, and try to woo the woodland animals (last year I had a deer eat from my hand)
So it’s important to be able to identify those moments where you can slow down and take your time and replicate it in other areas of your life.
If one thing you love to do on your weekends or holidays is to enjoy a slow cup of coffee, look at setting your coffee machine on a timer and get up 15 minutes early. The coffee will be made and you can get up and not have to wait for it to brew.
It’s important to find areas during your day to slow down to enjoy. Life goes quickly and if you’re not careful, you might have hustled your way through it and not actually enjoyed it.